DECEPTION

[jo]

I have seen a few twitter references lately -- was it shown on cable TV?

Did you like the movie?


It is evolving as one of the Jackman films which I thought was a good step towards expanding Hugh's dramatic portfolio. There were some plotholes towards the end, but I thought the characters were fairly well-developed. And it evoked a film noir vibe as a movie.

Did you hate the character of Wyatt


Jo

[jo]

[jo]

Mike McGranaghan ‏@aisleseat · Jan 15

Movie You Probably Forgot Existed: Hugh Jackman, Michelle Williams, and Ewan McGregor in DECEPTION

[jo]

Channeling the character of Ewan McGregor in the movie --

[jo]

[mamaleh]

Wyatt may have been a psychopath, but he was a darned attractive and charming one, LOL. I really liked his look in that movie, which has long been a guilty pleasure of mine.

Ellen

[jo]

The very definition of a handsome rake...and more!

He was particularly attractive when he first befriends the character of Ewan...and I like those scenes when he was first trying to lead him astray ( what an old-fashioned word ).

Wasn't this movie filmed in Manhattan itself? There was one protracted shooting day at Bryant Park itself.

Btw, it did show him playing tennis in one scene? Liev S says Hugh is great at tennis - they probably play together.

Jo

[jo]

[jo]

This movie rarely captures back discussions on film sites or message boards. It is almost as if it has been thoroughly forgotten. Someone on IMDB raised the question if anybody else enjoyed the movie as he did.

I responded in two parts --

I did like the film noir vibe of this movie.

Excellent cast and the acting was very good - Ewan, Hugh, and Michelle...and even the support cast of Charlotte, Natasha, and Maggie.

It was the first time that Hugh Jackman played a villain, a charming psychopath as it turned out! Ewan was credible as an auditor who does those lonely night audits. Michelle looked vulnerable.

It is a movie that bears re-watching every now and then because of the edgy atmosphere...and have you seen a movie with such beautiful people in it?

And later on added --

I'd also like to add that the cinematography, especially for the night scenes in New York, was key to giving the movie that film noir vibe.

This is a picture of what some people may call the seedy side of Manhattan, but could part of the audience have either nodded their heads because of the familiarity on screen or could they be wondering if it really happens in this microcosm-of-the-world city ?

New York is many things, in the daylight and at nighttime. In many places north and south, east and west of this most famous of islands!

So, even if there were questionable plot points at the end, this movie still paints one slice of Manhattan not usually dealt with in films. It does give a strong but relatively unknown impression of what happens in this city visited by everybody else from other parts of the world!

Although I wouldn't be surprised if it turns out as an episode in that remarkable portrayal of the dark side of New York called LAW AND ORDER...and people would not even lift an eyebrow !

Hugh Jackman lives in Manhattan and Michelle lives in Brooklyn in real life -- I wonder if at that time they had second thoughts about portraying an unkind picture of their adopted hometowns ...Although on second thought, both actors have appeared in dark plays on Broadway, would the theme really be unusual or unexpected ?

If they had a bigger budget ( this was the first production of SEED, and had a small budget o $ 10 million, if I recall right) maybe the weaker points ( especially in the second act) could have been worked on better.

I would also like to add that the chemistry between Hugh and Ewan was very good...and the one featuring him and Michelle was charged!

I couldn't find the pot smoking scene in the office with Hugh and Ewan...and have to settle for this one where the character of Ewan was introduced to the unusual night scene --







Could we see Hugh acting with these excellent actors again? It seems that as Hugh turned into middle age, a number of films have veered towards stories where he plays a father or a mentor to a child ( Real Steel, Pan, Les Miserables, Prisoners)...but settings like DECEPTION could also play host to interesting stories where Hugh can play the lead without actually emphasizing his age!


Jo

[jo]

Rarely seen when it was released ... and rarely in the conversation -- it is mentioned as a MUST-WATCH movie in India as a big bank fraud was recently uncovered.

www.financialexpress.com/industry/banking-finance/financial-fraud-here-are-five-movies-you-must-watch/1093244/

Deception
Released in 2008, the movie stars Hugh Jackman, Ewan McGregor, and Michelle Williams and follows the story of an accountant who gets involved in the disappearance of a woman and a multi-million dollar robbery and fraud.

Interestingly, the subject in DECEPTION was not an internal/inside job type of fraud, but the ability of the Jackman character to deceive an institution.

What I found more interesting was the portrayal of a more seedy Manhattan night life.


JO

[jo]

Hugh Jackman can play dashing heroes well... but also very effective ( and even frightening) as a villain. Which one is your favorite/most hated Hugh film villain -- Deception/Chappie/Pan?


Jo

[jo]

[jo]

[mamaleh]

I know the movie didn't get very kind reviews, but I found it quite entertaining. Don't they say the bad guys in movies get the best lines? So true.

Ellen

[jo]

One of Hugh Jackman's lesser-known movies is a thriller set in the seedy side of Manhattan's night life.

Had the script, especially the denouement part been better written ( some plot holes), this could have even been considered as a serious drama/thriller that would have gotten good reviews ( and maybe even some awards notice). It is very well-cast ( Hugh, Ewan McGregor, Michelle Williams, Charlotte Rampling) and the dark atmosphere is well captured.

Did you get to see it, at least on home video? It was the first time that Hugh had played a different kind of role!


I came across this interview with Hugh re the movie.





Jo


PS: By the way, this movie was the first one in which Hugh was directly involved as a Producer and was the first project of the defunct SEED Productions.

[jo]

This looks like an on-the-set of DECEPTION photo. Or maybe an actual match?

Hugh actually plays tennis. Liev Schreiber calls him a mean tennis player (he seems like he's got the athleticism and the physical strength for forehands and backhands...and for long rallies)


Jo

[jo]

[jo]

It was called THE LIST in other places.


Jo

[jo]

[njr]

I just noticed that this photo was printed backwards (above) Here is correct configuration:



Nancy

[jo]

DECEPTION was released in 2008.



From IMDB --BAD INFLUENCE with James Spader & Rob Lowe released in 1999

Summaries
A soft and hesitant young man is in danger when tries to break toxic relationships with a mysterious stranger claiming to be his friend.

Michael, a wimpy young executive, is about to get pulverized by a jealous boyfriend in a bar when a handsome, mysterious stranger steps in--and then disappears. Later that night, while jogging, Michael runs into the stranger on a pier. He introduces himself as Alex, and the two go out to an under- ground club. Within a matter of days, Alex wheedles his way into Michael's life and turns it upside down, and Michael doesn't realize that Alex is a dangerous sociopath until it's too late.

—Denise P. Meyer <[e-mail]>

[jo]

The movie has been re-aired on AXN ( at least in the cable company programming here).

Lol - I had reminders to see it -- but I forgot all about it...and caught the movie halfway ( when Ewan's character was beginning to realize that something fishy was happening because he could not catch Wyatt Bose where he was supposed to be).

*Hugh looked very tall because he was rather lean. This was released in 2008 so it must have been shot before he filmed Australia and Origins. I think how he has matured since then has actually made him more attractive! Plus there is the added worldly touch now ( must be due to his residing in NYC since then). Interestingly, Michelle looked very young and very pretty. The years are less kindly to her -- she looked very different later on in The Greatest Showman.

*The plot holes are still obvious ( how did Wyatt enter the bank with a gun without any security check/ how did the character of Michelle get a gun so readily and was she keeping minute-to-minute moves of Wyatt so she was able to follow them in the park).

*It was Wyatt who obviously opened the Spanish bank account - so he would be the one to designate if the bank account needed a co-signer for any withdrawals. Can the transferor-bank require a co-signer before the transferee-bank can allow withdrawal? Once the funds are transferred and cleared - it is assumed that the account owner becomes the legitimate account owner and can dispense the funds however he wants it.

*The ability of Wyatt to do everything he wants to do without help from anyone seems rather very farfetched ( such as his access to a well-heeled apartment, the access to The List of the seedy side of Manhattan nightlife, after his previous background sounds not very credible).

But what I am elated about this movie -

*It has a very good plot, a film noirish execution, excellent acting -- it deserves a re-release if not on screen but more showings on cable TV. Not sure how it is released on streaming.

*This was at the time when Hugh has just released a few excellent movies The Fountain/The Prestige - and was staring to show his dramatic talent.


Jo

[jo]

[jo]

[jo]

Bibbyroo
@bibbyroo1
·
1h
462 Deception
A great little erotic thriller. Ewan McGregor as the nerdy accountant taken under the wing of the lothario playboy Hugh Jackman. Of course, it all comes crashing down in twists and turns.
#Deception #EwanMcGregor #MichelleWilliams #EroticThriller #Twists




JoAB
@joab46466753
It could have been a much better movie with cleaner plot points. But even with those faults, it was a good movie about the seedy side of Manhattan nights and its citizens. Strong cast (Jackman/McGregor/MWilliams/CRampling).